Genealogies

I know I already sold a Geoff Farina album (Karate – The Bed is in the Ocean). It’s not a reflection of him! Damn, he is a fine songwriter! The Secret Stars is another of his projects. Part of the charm of The Secret Stars is their relationship with the band Ida. These two bands have a history of covering each other’s songs and mentioning each other in their lyrics. Très adorable! One of the greatest songs either band ever recorded is The Secret Stars’ “Shoe In”.

Lyric: “Up in heaven you’re a shoe in if you open up your heart to me.” It just melts your guts.

This, again, is a song that my college friend Andrea put on a mix tape for me. It’s moody, sad, and lovely. It makes me feel like riding a train in Chicago on a winter day. It makes me hopeful and nostalgic. It makes me yearn for simple love and easy times. Farina doesn’t need a lot of words or time to paint a picture. It’s hard to write a song that can make someone cry without feeling depressed, and somehow Farina is a master.

Farina is most definitely a prolific songwriter, but his efforts with The Secret Stars are limited. Genealogies is the best (in my opinion) of TSS releases. It is with a heavy heart that I bid adieu…